HERITAGE: Peter Harris Of Kickin Records Discusses The Birth Of Jungle In BBC Doc (1994)

HERITAGE: Peter Harris Of Kickin Records Discusses The Birth Of Jungle In BBC Doc (1994)


November 30, 2017

Peter Harris, who sadly passed away in 2008, was an iconic figure who founded the seminal Kickin' Records in 1988 in his basement. The label was a key outlet in the jungle scene, releasing records from future legends like The Scientist, Shut Up And Dance, Blak Prophetz, Messiah, Grant Nelson, DJ Hype, Phil Asher, Dominic Butler (of Stanton Warriors) and Rennie Pilgrem.

Here he is in a jungle-centred episode of a 1994 BBC2 documentary called All Black, discussing the emergence of jungle and breakbeat towards the end of the '80s and its split from the hardcore scene. As he explains, some ravers didn't like the faster breaks and ragga samples and the jungle scene split from hardcore.

Put simply: "America's got hip-hop, Jamaica's got ragga, and we've got jungle. It's as simple as that."

Elsewhere in the doc, there are interviews with Shy FX, UK Apachi, General Levy, DJ Rap, DJ Ash, LTJ Bukem, Fabio and more, as well as footage of Shy and Gunsmoke recording "Gangster II" that might be familiar to you.



Words: James Keith


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